Canadian obesity rates tripled since 1985

Canada's obesity rates have tripled in the last three decades, new research has found.

Obesity rates jumped from 6% to 18% nationwide between 1985 and 2011, according to a study at Memorial University in St. John's, N.L.

What's more, the study estimates that 21% of Canadians will be obese by 2019.

"These results raise concern at a policy level, because people in these obesity classes are at a much higher risk of developing complex care needs," pharmacy and medicine professor Laurie Twells said in a release about the study.

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The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found the problem is worse on the east coast.

Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest rate of class-1 obesity, defined as a body mass index of between 30.0 and 34.9.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia both had the highest rates of class-2 obesity (35-39.9), and New Brunswick had the highest rates of class-3 (40 or more).

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